Inflated Student Numbers Suspected

April 29, 2003|By Edgar Sandoval Education Writer

A Broward County schools audit team expects to determine by June whether Piper High Community School in Sunrise inflated its enrollment to get extra money from state and federal government, school administrators said Monday.

For about a month and a half, an audit team has been following leads that some administrators and teachers manipulated attendance rolls to get extra taxpayer money per student, said Patrick Reilly, who runs the school district's audit department.

"We are looking into everything and talking to current staff, former teachers, students," Reilly said.

Last school year Piper High Community School received about $3.8 million, the largest amount in the school district, said school district spokesman Joe Donzelli. Fort Lauderdale Adult Community School received the second largest amount, $2.5 million.

The state and federal departments of education give community schools money depending on their enrollment.

Auditors are looking at the months between April and June 2002, and also at the school's expenses in travel, furniture and staff salaries, Reilly said.

If allegations are true, Piper High Community School may have been receiving money that should have gone to other schools, Donzelli said.

"Say the Department of Education's budget is $5 million and there are three schools. If one inflates the number, that school is going to get more money that could have gone to the other two," he said.

School district officials became aware of the allegations months before the audit began, said Tom Geismar, the north central area superintendent who oversees Piper Community School.

Sometime last school year, Geismar and his staff noticed the school reported having more students than any classroom could handle. After Geismar noticed the high enrollment numbers, he set limits to the number of students the school could enroll per class, Geismar said. Community school students tend to be adults who take English for speakers of other languages and GED classes.

Then a former part-time teacher came forward and raised allegations the school was altering enrollment data. The district's special investigation unit got involved and called for an audit, Geismar said.

"This is the first time I have seen any of these issues, and I have been here for more than 30 years," Geismar said.

Depending on what the audit finds, school staff may be reprimanded, suspended, fired or turned over to legal authorities for further questioning, Donzelli said.

Piper High Community School officials would not comment Monday.

A report of the audit will go to the school superintendent, the School Board and an audit committee.

"We don't know what we'll do until we know what really happened," Reilly said.

Edgar Sandoval can be reached at Esandoval@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7910